Airlines Ban Popular Hoverboard Toy After Reports of Self-Combustion

One of this holiday season's hottest toys is catching plenty of flack, with consumer watchdogs urging extreme caution and a handful of airlines—including Alaskan, American, Delta, Frontier and United—issuing an outright ban of the toy aboard their jets, either in checked luggage or as carry-on items. Meanwhile, popular online discount retailer Overstock.com announced Dec. 10 it would would stop selling the toy immediately.

NBC News reports the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received a growing number of reports of fires involving hoverboards—the self-balancing electronic scooter that is heavily pitched on home shopping TV networks. It turns out some of the gadgets have caught fire, possibly due to lithium ion batteries overheating.

Additionally, there are increasing reports from U.S. emergency rooms, according to NBC, that people have been falling from the hoverboards and suffering injuries, including trauma to the arms, legs and head.

CPSC spokeswoman Patty Davis told the Associated Press that the toy's sudden popularity has triggered at "high priority investigation" at her agency.

"We know consumers are giving it as a gift during the holidays," she said. "We are working all across the country to move our investigation into the fires forward as quickly as possible."